The present invention relates to an improvement in a reverse prevention device for fishing reels. A so-called silent stopper has been known as a device for preventing reversing of a fishing reel during winding up of the fishing line. An example of the silent stopper has, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 8715/1977, a reverse prevention pawl having a spring adapted to clamp a reverse prevention ratchet wheel. Another example, shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 33018/1977, has a coiled spring wound round the shaft of a reverse prevention ratchet wheel and engaging a reverse prevention pawl. Thus, in the conventional devices, the prevention of reversing of the reel has been attained by making use of the frictional force on the reverse prevention ratchet wheel.
These conventional devices relying upon the frictional force have the following disadvantages. Since the reverse prevention pawl tends to engage the teeth of the reverse prevention ratchet wheel irrespective of the position of the teeth during reversing of the reel, the pawl does not engage the teeth immediately unless the reverse prevention pawl takes a position facing one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel. In the conventional devices, the instantaneous and safe engagement of the reverse prevention pawl with the teeth of the ratchet often fails, and serious wear is caused on both of the reverse prevention pawl and ratchet wheel. In addition, smooth rotation of the reverse prevention ratchet wheel often fails due to a large resistance against rotation. These problems are serious particularly in the reel designed and constructed for high-speed rotation.
Moreover, although the prior art includes ratchet wheel and pawl constructions, generally, which facilitate smooth noiseless engagement of the pawl with the ratchet wheel, they cannot achieve a mode of operation in which reverse rotation of the ratchet is prevented. For example U.S. Pat. No. 210,251 to Grosclaude is representative of the prior art and discloses a ratchet wheel "a" and a pawl "b" including a spring "d" positioned between the pawl and the ratchet wheel. The spring rests on the teeth of the ratchet wheel to keep the pawl raised and out of contact with the teeth while the wheel rotates in one direction. When the wheel rotates in the opposite direction, the free end of the spring abuts against the tooth located in front of it and forces the pawl to pivot into positive engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel.
Unlike the prior art pawl and ratchet devices as represented by the Grosclaude patent, the present invention provides for a construction having two modes of operation in which a pawl assumes on the one hand, an operative position, and on the other hand an inoperative position. In the operative position, the pawl is pivoted into or out of blocking engagement with the teeth of a rotatable ratchet wheel. In the inoperative position, pivoting of the pawl is prevented entirely.
The structure of the prior art, and in particular that of the Grosclaude patent, does not perform the function of the present invention, described in greater detail hereinbelow. Even if it were possible for the pawl "b" of Grosclaude to be set in an inoperative position, the tip of the spring "d" would be stretched in the reverse direction as it engaged the ratchet "a", and would undergo deformation and break when the ratchet rotated in reverse. Hence in Grosclaude, the ratchet "a" cannot be rotated smoothly and continuously in both directions, as it can be with the construction of the present invention. Thus, the present invention represents a tremendous advancement over the prior art.